I'm always looking for new ideas for my sons' birthday parties. To complicate matters, we live in an apartment too small to hold all the friends and family that want to help us celebrate, we have a very tight, small budget, and both our children were born in months prone to random bursts of foul weather. I figure we're not the only family in this situation, so for the next few posts I thought I'd share of few of the party plans we've managed to pull off, what mistakes we've made, and a few of the ideas I've got up my sleeve for the future.
The Very First Birthday Party
For our eldest son's first birthday we expected (and received) about 25 guests. So we chose a nearby park with it's wide-open spaces and kid-friendly playground for our location. I decided on a 123's, ABC's, and Elmo theme with primary colors.
Since tables at this particular park were inconveniently located on the opposite side of the large bathroom building from the playground, we chose to borrow a folding table from my husband's grandmother and set up our party area, complete with pop-up canopy, on a patch of grass near the playground.
Since the ages of our guests ranged from 1 to 92, we planned a variety of entertainment. First and foremost we had the playground nearby for the oldest children (6 yrs). We also had a large tarp laid out under the canopy for the littlest ones to crawl on and arranged the chairs in a U-shape around the canopy with an opening toward the playground. To help keep the little ones entertained and to really emphasize our theme, I spray painted 2 large boxes (previous to the party, of course) to look like old-school alphabet & number building blocks. I taped the two boxes together end-to-end creating a tunnel which, to our surprise, all the children LOVED, including the 6 year old. In fact, they spent as much time chasing each other through that little cardboard tunnel as they did on the playground. Another big hit with the kids was our bubble machine which we picked up at Toys R Us for about $15 and set up at the back of our party area (opposite the playground) where there was plenty of room to run and most importantly where the wind blew the bubbles away from party guests & our food.
For the adults we played two pen and paper games. The first game was a fill-in-the-blank story of the birthday boy's life. Everyone had great fun trying to remember how much he weighed when he was born, how old he was when he got his first tooth, what his first word was, and more! We gave a small gift to the person with the most correct answers. The second game was a pass-it-along drawing game where everyone had 20 seconds to start drawing a portrait of the birthday boy and at the end of that 20 seconds they passed their picture to the left and then tried to complete the picture handed to them by the person on their right. We did about 5 passes for a total of 2 minutes drawing time. The results were comical! We had everyone vote on the best picture which we then kept to put in our son's baby book.
For the cake we ordered a standard sheet cake from Costco for about $16. Then we added some rubber figures of Elmo, Erny, & Cookie Monster to tie in our theme and finished it off with candles shaped like crayons.
For food & drinks we offered: lemonade, water, and a variety of 2-liter sodas; crackers, chips, apples, and a variety of homemade sandwiches. Of course we had Elmo plates and cups which also featured numbers & letters in primary colors (also picked up at Toys R Us).
We did forget the camera, so at the last second my husband had to run back to the apartment to get it and arrived back at the park about 20 minutes after the rest of the guests had arrived and as if that weren't bad enough, we grossly underestimated how long it would take to set up and I didn't finish setting up until about the time my husband returned with the camera. However, once set up was complete and the camera retrieved, everything went smoothly and no one seemed to mind the delayed start- a couple even pitched in to help get things done. All in all it was a great party and everyone seemed to have a great time.
My next post will be about the birthday party that almost didn't happen. In the meantime, I'd love to read any comments, ideas, or birthday related stories you may have to tell. Just click on the comments link to share!
September 7, 2008
August 29, 2008
Disneyland as a Parent
As a teenager, I would dash from one ride to the next without so much as breathing heavy and rarely stopping for a bathroom break. Sitting down for a meal was unheard of. Any food we remembered to eat was carried in our waist pack and inhaled while standing in line. The only reason I paid any attention to shows or parades was when they were popular enough to have an effect on the lines to my favorite ride. Fantasmic was the best invention ever, in my opinion, because virtually every ride was walk-on, and I usually spent the entire show going on Space Mountain over and over and over again.
As a mother, Disneyland is a whole new place. Somehow, I swear they moved every ride farther apart than it was before. The stroller we push isn't as much for the children we bring, but the supplies that must come with them. Shows, Parades, and even rides now have a common appeal for me- a chance to get off my feet. They are also a reason for my 2 1/2 year old to stop whining about the desert he couldn't have or the toy we couldn't buy. Not only does he stop whining, he even smiles, claps, and laughs. Which of course wipes away my frown as well. Shows and parades are now an opportunity to eat, rehydrate, and feed the baby. The Aladdin show at Disney's California Adventure is my favorite. It's dynamic enough to keep my 2 1/2 year old's attention, is inside a temperature controlled building, and includes cushioned theater chairs with armrests!
As a mother, I now know the location of nearly every restroom in the park, which ones have the nicest changing areas, and which are located near a restaurant. I have discovered that every restaurant provides hot water free of charge for bottle warming. Additionally, there is a special child tending/parent's lounge type area near the Carnation restaurant at the end of Main St. - according to the map. I haven't timed it right to use that lounge yet, but I'm hoping to get the chance before our passes expire, just to see what it looks like.
As a teenager I had no idea there was a fountain in front of the train station near the haunted mansion, and I certainly didn't know there were benches surrounding that fountain. I now know that sitting on one of the two benches closest to the island but facing the station, lets my 2 1/2 year old stand on the seat and hold the back to watch the first part of Fantasmic, but helps block his view of the life size, fire-breathing purple dragon at the end when I turn him around and sit him on his bottom.
As a teenager I raced in and out and around Tom Sawyer's Island without a thought to spiders or the fact that the caves were dark. As a mother at "Pirate's Lair" (as it's now called) I dutifully check for spider webs in each cave and hold a little hand tight as we slowly make our way through....when he's feeling brave. If he's not feeling too brave that day, we sit on the rocks outside and wave at the people on the boats and cannoes going around the island. As a teenager I thought rocks were for climbing up, jumping across and jumping drown from. It never occurred to me that you could sit on them.
As a mother, I now notice and understand the details of adult behavior that I simply missed or didn't understand as a teenager. I now understand when I see a mom and her daughter leave the line they've been standing in for the last 40min even though they're just 5 min from getting on. I understand that the little dance and tugging on mommy's hand mean "I gotta go NOW!" I also know that thanks to Disney's family friendly policies, the ride operator the mom passed on the way out of line will let her back in the back entrance after the bathroom emergency has been handled. I also know that the man with the baby near the exit of Thunder Mountain is probably waiting for his wife to finish her ride not because he's too cowardly to ride, but so that she can give him the switch pass and he can ride without waiting a second time in line.
As a mother I have learned a great many things about Disneyland that I never knew as a teenager.
Next week the kids are spending the day with Nana and I'm hoping for a few hours of amnesia. ;-P
As a mother, Disneyland is a whole new place. Somehow, I swear they moved every ride farther apart than it was before. The stroller we push isn't as much for the children we bring, but the supplies that must come with them. Shows, Parades, and even rides now have a common appeal for me- a chance to get off my feet. They are also a reason for my 2 1/2 year old to stop whining about the desert he couldn't have or the toy we couldn't buy. Not only does he stop whining, he even smiles, claps, and laughs. Which of course wipes away my frown as well. Shows and parades are now an opportunity to eat, rehydrate, and feed the baby. The Aladdin show at Disney's California Adventure is my favorite. It's dynamic enough to keep my 2 1/2 year old's attention, is inside a temperature controlled building, and includes cushioned theater chairs with armrests!
As a mother, I now know the location of nearly every restroom in the park, which ones have the nicest changing areas, and which are located near a restaurant. I have discovered that every restaurant provides hot water free of charge for bottle warming. Additionally, there is a special child tending/parent's lounge type area near the Carnation restaurant at the end of Main St. - according to the map. I haven't timed it right to use that lounge yet, but I'm hoping to get the chance before our passes expire, just to see what it looks like.
As a teenager I had no idea there was a fountain in front of the train station near the haunted mansion, and I certainly didn't know there were benches surrounding that fountain. I now know that sitting on one of the two benches closest to the island but facing the station, lets my 2 1/2 year old stand on the seat and hold the back to watch the first part of Fantasmic, but helps block his view of the life size, fire-breathing purple dragon at the end when I turn him around and sit him on his bottom.
As a teenager I raced in and out and around Tom Sawyer's Island without a thought to spiders or the fact that the caves were dark. As a mother at "Pirate's Lair" (as it's now called) I dutifully check for spider webs in each cave and hold a little hand tight as we slowly make our way through....when he's feeling brave. If he's not feeling too brave that day, we sit on the rocks outside and wave at the people on the boats and cannoes going around the island. As a teenager I thought rocks were for climbing up, jumping across and jumping drown from. It never occurred to me that you could sit on them.
As a mother, I now notice and understand the details of adult behavior that I simply missed or didn't understand as a teenager. I now understand when I see a mom and her daughter leave the line they've been standing in for the last 40min even though they're just 5 min from getting on. I understand that the little dance and tugging on mommy's hand mean "I gotta go NOW!" I also know that thanks to Disney's family friendly policies, the ride operator the mom passed on the way out of line will let her back in the back entrance after the bathroom emergency has been handled. I also know that the man with the baby near the exit of Thunder Mountain is probably waiting for his wife to finish her ride not because he's too cowardly to ride, but so that she can give him the switch pass and he can ride without waiting a second time in line.
As a mother I have learned a great many things about Disneyland that I never knew as a teenager.
Next week the kids are spending the day with Nana and I'm hoping for a few hours of amnesia. ;-P
July 20, 2008
Requirements For A Good Date
Requirements for a good date prior to parenthood:
Ahh the blissful silence! :-D
- Nice clothes
- Makeup
- Jewelry
- Dinner Out
- Movie
- Babysitter
Ahh the blissful silence! :-D
Fun With Photos
My friend Julia took a photo of my son while she was watching him this evening. I took her image and did a quick cutout which I superimposed onto another photo I had...and voila! :-D
Here are some links to other fun things to do with photos:
Kids' Photo Collage for Parent/Grandparent
Handprint, Photo Blossom Craft
Backpack ID Tag
Photo Collage applied to various objects (i.e. pencil holder)
Make your own ID (geared toward child safety)
Photo Soap Bars (really!)
Photo Coasters - this link refers you to some products you can buy to get a more professional result, but the image reminded me of the empty cd cases I have sitting around. They're clear and plastic...what if I put a square picture inside? hmm... I may just have to try this! :-D
Okay, well the little one is finally asleep so that's all the time I have for now. Let me know if you have any other fun ideas of what to do with photos. And if anyone uses one of the ideas I posted here, I'd love to see a photo! :-D
July 15, 2008
The Strange Things Moms Say
Tonight I was half watching a reality show while I swept the crumbs from under my son's booster seat. As I dumped the dustpan into the trash I heard, "DO. NOT. MAKE. YOUR. CHICKEN. DANCE." I smiled. Replace "chicken" with sandwich, french fries, or green beans and you've got a sentence I've uttered myself on more than one occasion. I wonder, how many times a day we mothers find ourselves saying something that would ordinarily sound totally bizarre, but under the circumstances makes perfect sense?
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